SUMMARY AND KEY POINTS:
- Cerence AI introduces new conversational AI agents for dealerships and OEMs, growing its portfolio of agentic, domain-specific solutions and expanding to new areas beyond the in-vehicle experience.
- The dealer assist agent empowers automotive dealerships with intelligent sales and service automation, advancing Cerence’s strategy to deliver agentic AI solutions to extended automotive markets.
- The ownership companion agent enables OEMs to deliver an in-car AI service companion that provides proactive service and maintenance support to their drivers.
LAS VEGAS (CES 2026) and BURLINGTON, Mass., Dec. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cerence Inc. (NASDAQ: CRNC) (“Cerence AI”), a global leader in conversational AI-powered user experiences, today introduced two new AI agents to its ecosystem of intelligent, domain-specific agents built to address its customers’ most pressing challenges. The dealer assist agent, an AI agent designed to transform the way automotive dealerships engage with their customers, and the ownership companion agent, an in-car AI agent that assists drivers with service and maintenance needs, will debut at CES 2026 in Las Vegas. The new offerings follow the company’s recent introduction of its mobile work AI agent developed in collaboration with Microsoft.
“The introduction of these two domain-specific agents marks a significant evolution in our strategy to extend Cerence’s conversational and agentic AI leadership beyond the vehicle and into new areas of the automotive ecosystem and beyond,” said Sai Yagnyamurthy, GM, Growth & Strategic Verticals at Cerence AI. “By combining our deep expertise in in-car assistants with enterprise automation capabilities, we’re expanding the reach of Cerence AI to deliver intelligent, connected experiences that transform how drivers, dealers, and automakers engage across the entire customer journey.”
Meet the dealer assist agent
Today, dealerships face a growing disconnect between their customers’ expectations for a seamless experience and the operational realities of limited staff and fragmented technology systems. Almost half of online leads receive no response within the first 24 hours, despite research showing that companies contacting prospects within an hour of receiving a lead were about seven times as likely to qualify the lead.1
This disconnect impacts the bottom line for dealers: up to 15–20% of potential monthly sales are lost because no one is available to respond to leads after hours or during peak times,2 and dealerships lack the AI tools they need to quickly follow-up with leads.
Acting as both a sales and service assistant, the dealer assist agent automates lead capture, test drive booking, and service scheduling while delivering real-time updates and routing high-value interactions to dealership staff. Deep integration with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Dealer Management System (DMS) platforms ensures every customer interaction is seamless, consistent, and personal – reducing response times, boosting satisfaction, and freeing advisors to focus on high-value interactions.
The agentic sales and service experience is extensible to markets beyond automotive.
“What we’ve built for automotive is just the beginning,” said Yagnyamurthy. “The same agentic intelligence that powers sales and service automation for dealers can be adapted to any industry that relies on high-volume customer engagement and complex workflows. We see enormous potential in expanding our ecosystem of purpose-built agents into new enterprise verticals, bringing Cerence’s AI leadership to markets beyond automotive.”
Introducing the ownership companion agent
The ownership companion agent support users with information and diagnostics for their car, including scheduling service. With more than 60% of car owners not yet using the advanced features available in their vehicles,3 the agent also plays a key role in helping them discover and adopt these in-car capabilities.
Drivers expect intelligent, always-available support throughout the car ownership journey, yet service experiences remain fragmented and inefficient. The ownership companion agent gives drivers an intelligent, always-on service companion within the car. It helps users diagnose issues, interpret alerts, and book service appointments instantly. It surfaces upgrade or trade-in opportunities for users, reinforcing brand loyalty while enabling OEMs to deliver proactive, personalized experiences that extend beyond the dashboard.
It also recognizes each driver, their vehicle, and their service history to deliver tailored recommendations and support. Accessible anytime through phone, web, messaging, mobile app, or in-car systems, the agent ensures a consistent experience across all channels, helping OEMs reinforce their brand values in every interaction.
Creating an AI-powered service loop
Packaged together, the two agents enable real-time, context-aware handoffs between the vehicle and the dealership, creating a service loop which empowers OEMs to extend their brand experience beyond the dashboard and helps dealers proactively engage customers in moments that matter
Visit Cerence at CES 2026
Cerence AI will showcase both agents live at Booth #6826, LVCC West Hall, during CES 2026 in Las Vegas. For more information about Cerence AI, visit www.cerence.ai, and follow the company on LinkedIn.
About Cerence Inc.
Cerence Inc. (NASDAQ: CRNC) is a global industry leader in creating intuitive, seamless, AI-powered experiences across automotive and transportation. Leveraging decades of innovation and expertise in voice, generative AI, and large language models, Cerence powers integrated experiences that create safer, more connected, and more enjoyable journeys for drivers and passengers alike. With more than 525 million cars shipped with Cerence technology, the company partners with leading automakers, transportation OEMs, and technology companies to advance the next generation of user experiences. Cerence is headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, with operations globally and a worldwide team dedicated to pushing the boundaries of AI innovation. For more information, visit www.cerence.ai.
Contact Information
For Media: press@cerence.com
For Investors: cerence@pondel.com
__________________________
1 https://hbr.org/2011/03/the-short-life-of-online-sales-leads
2 https://www.coxautoinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/2024-Digitization-of-Automotive-Retail-Study_Media-deck-FINAL.pdf
3 https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2021-us-tech-experience-index-txi-study
